Street Vending to be Done in an Organised Manner to Ensure Convenience and Cleanliness of the City: Suneel Anchipaka

Port Blair, Feb 17: The Port Blair Municipal Council has been promoting source segregation of waste on a war footing since the past few months. The results have been quite encouraging with the Council successful in closing the dumping yard at Brookshabad, thus stopping the harmful smoke that was emitted.

In a press conference organized at the Conference Hall of the Municipal Council today evening, the Secretary PBMC, Shri Suneel Anchipaka, IAS told the scribes that the dumping yard at Brookshabad has been burning continuously since ages for the very reason that mixed waste used to be  dumped in the area. The area is near Corbyn’s Cove beach, where large number of tourists visit every day and the dumping yard had become an eye sore.

Segregation of waste at source has helped eliminate the nuisance, he said. PBMC thus appeals to all the citizens to segregate waste i.e. dry, wet and hazardous waste at the source level itself. 

“It is our collective responsibility to source segregation in order to stop such menace”, said Anchipaka.

The city is 42 Sq Kms and such pollution will affect each and every household if not dealt with properly, he said.

Anchipaka also observed that in few colonies, the residents have been segregating and handing over the waste to the Municipal Employees but the employees tend to mix it again, thus failing the very purpose of segregation. Taking cognizance, the PBMC made such employees to work extra hours, making the employees understand their faults.

The Secretary also informed that the PBMC has stopped collecting garbage dumped on the road sides. This is to make the citizens realize the importance of cleanliness. The citizens are expected to hand over the garbage after segregating it to the employees of the council who visit the households on daily basis. 

He also said that PBMC is in the process of providing dustbins in every wards of the PBMC. The process is expected to be completed by 15th of March 2020. 

Meanwhile regarding the legacy waste that has been generated in the dumping yard, the PBMC has invited bidders from the mainland. The bidding will be done through GeM portal. As of now the PBMC has been successful in shipping 67.69 tons of glass bottles and 164.62 tons of other dry waste for recycling in the mainland. This has also created employment opportunities to the rag pickers.

As a last resort, the PBMC will be going in for “Naming and Shaming” activity against those who tend to litter, in spite of all awareness and appeals, said the Secretary.

Addressing the issue of Sunday Market at Junglighat, the Secretary said, PBMC will be earmarking areas for vending. Vending pockets will be identified across the city instead of confining it to Junglighat, which has become a nuisance to the people. Vendors will be provided identity cards and areas will be allocated to them for vending. This will ensure that street vending becomes convenient for the people and the vendors while ensuring that the place is litter free. 

Concluding his address, the Secretary PBMC said, “Source segregation is the only solution for an effective solid waste management and we seek 100% cooperation from the citizens.